Hi,
I'm painting some US Marines during the Vietnam war & need to paint a couple of .45 Holsters which were usually black leather. I'm using Vallejo Model Color Acrylics & would like to know how to achieve a black leather effect.

Also, some of my figures have been fitted out with K Bar or Bowie knives (I believe were issued to the Marines-but I might be wrong) & would like to paint the scabbard in brown leather with the knife to have a brown handle (if, of course, that is the right colour). Again, what colours do I require.

Thanks for your help.

Joe.

I'd go with a black gray base color, shadows in black, edges and wear in orange brown and highlights in a blend of black gray and orange brown. The are all Vallejo colors.

There are two scabbards for K-Bar knives out there depending on whether the knife is the issue type or privately purchased. The issue knife comes in a black leather scabbard and black leather grip (the knife itself is made by either Camillus or Ontario Knife company BTW); the private purchase K-Bar comes with a natural leather scabbard and has a deep brown leather grip. I have been issued the first type and carried the second through two deployments in Iraq, I'll see if I can dig it out and get some pics of how a worn handle and scabbard looks.